Thursday, 4 October 2012

Loss of specialist capabilities needed to support the nuclear propulsion programme

The MOD was asked through a FOI request to provide information about loss of specialist capabilities needed to support the nuclear propulsion programme and to explore what the Union Prospect was doing to resolve the issue.

Thank you for your email of 28 August 2012 requesting the following information:

Letters and emails between MOD Officials and the Union Prospect concerning the loss of specialist capabilities needed to support the nuclear propulsion programme and theFrame work Agreement Technical Services for the period January 2012 to June 2012. I am writing to advise you that we are still working to identify the information that falls within the scope of your request. I estimate that it will take a further 20 working days to identify this information, so I will write to you again no later than 23 October 2012. Please accept my apologies for the delay, and for not providing a response within the 20 working days set out in the FOI Act."

The delay in providing the information requested again points out the failure of the MOD to meet its legal duty to provide the information requested within 20 working days.

It may also indicate that the MOD's document and record keeping systems, even for recent correspondence are seriously flawed.

It may be the case that the MOD does not want to release the information and wishes to hide the information for fear that it will inevitably show that the MOD is still failing to provide the required level of specialist resource to safely deliver its nuclear programmes.

The MOD may now have become reliant on contractors and granting concessions so that less skilled and experienced personnel can be placed in SQEP posts within the MOD's nuclear progarmmes.